Farzana Shahid

Echoes from the Abyss: a Novel Farzana Shahid

This is the heart-rending tale of thirteen-year-old Meena, who due to an unfortunate turn of events ends up in one of the brothels of Bombay, India. Her mother, Devi, is tricked into selling her into prostitution slavery by a well-known doctor of a Nepali village community. Meena remains locked up there for four years. At first she refuses the business but Chowla Bai, the Madame of the brothel and her goons subject her to the worst torture, humiliation and rapes. These finally break her resistance. In the brothel she develops a strong and deep friendship with another girl, Pooja, who later dies of AIDS. After Pooja's death, Meena conceives and gives birth to a daughter, whom she murders in desperation. She is also harassed by one particular client, Sahib, who causes her extreme emotional hurt and anxiety. While in the brothel she witnesses a brutal murder and also the escape of two girls, Rani and Nanni. She herself is rescued by a foreign agency and returns to Nepal to face a myriad of social problems. She falls in love, but must make a bitter decision.